In 1998, the Carter Center Mental Health Program awarded Skolnick with an inaugural Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism to investigate the treatment of jail and prison inmates with mental illness,[1] an investigation which led to the publication of two news reports in JAMA[5][6] and to a special series in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch titled "Death, Neglect and the Bottom Line".[7][8][9][10]

In 1992, Skolnick, JAMA's editor George Lundberg, and the AMA were sued for $194 million by Deepak Chopra and two Transcendental Meditation (TM) organizations over Skolnick's article titled, "Maharishi Ayur-Veda: Guru's Marketing Scheme Promises the World Eternal 'Perfect Health.'"[14] The suit alleged Skolnick's report on TM's health care products and services marketed under the trademarked name Maharishi Ayurveda was libelous and that it tortiously interfered with their business interests.[15]

In an August 1992 decision,[16] judge Charles Kocoras rejected the plaintiff’s motion to enjoin JAMA and Skolnick from publishing statements about Chopra and Hari Sharma and Maharishi Ayurveda alleged to be defamatory, noting that the plaintiffs did not allege that the statements about them in the article were false or misleading. The decision held that "plaintiffs have little likelihood of prevailing on the merits of their disparagement claim", and that the allegedly defamatory statements were protected as "fair comment and criticism" on an issue of public concern.[17][18][19] Shortly thereafter, the case was dismissed without prejudice in March 1993.[citation needed]

The AMA dismissed Skolnick when Correctional Medical Services, one of the for-profit health care companies criticized in the "Death, Neglect and the Bottom Line" article, threatened JAMA and the Post-Dispatch with litigation.[20][21][22]

Skolnick also sued CMS, claiming their responses to the articles were defamatory, but a summary judgement ruled in favor of CMS, the defendants.[23]